Solar Eclipse
by LovePeeta
Summary: How was Bella supposed to marry Edward when Jacob kept consuming her every thought? Something would have to give. How I think the story should have gone, set at the beginning of Eclipse.
1. Selfish

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters or places. Although I wish I did because then I would be rich like Stephenie Meyer.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Selfish**

To say that everything had gone back to normal would be a terrible lie. Edward was back at my side quite literally 24/7, much to Charlie's chagrin. Jacob, however, was avoiding me entirely. I called at least once a day and had even driven down to La Push once. Billy always said he was out. It wasn't hard to guess why. I had betrayed him in the worst way. Jacob, who never left my side during what was inarguably the darkest period of my life so far. I dumped him as soon as Edward, a vampire who happened to be his sworn enemy, returned.

Most days, I despised myself.

Edward knew something was wrong. He constantly asked me to tell him what was going through my mind when my eyes got that faraway look. I refused, although I suspected he already knew. It was a tedious scene. On one such afternoon, we were sitting at my kitchen table doing homework.

It felt as if every teacher decided to assign a paper on the same week. If Victoria didn't finish me off, all of this homework was going to do the job for her. I was halfway through my English essay on _Wuthering Heights_ when Edward cleared his throat. I kept my eyes glued to the book, feigning concentration.

"Bella," he said, his clear voice filling the silence.

I sighed and set my pencil down as I met his eyes.

"Please tell me what you are thinking."

His topaz eyes were pleading and would have been enough to coax the truth out of me before I was experienced enough to evade his intentional charm.

"I'm thinking senior year is going to kill me," I said.

He frowned. "Don't say that."

I almost grinned when I realized he was thinking about his reluctant agreement to change me after graduation. Then I frowned as well when I remembered my end of the deal. Marriage.

How was I supposed to think about marrying Edward when there were still so many loose ends left to be tied up in my life? Which brought me back to my original source of frustration: Jacob.

"Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?" Edward asked, exasperated.

I met his eyes again and weighed the consequences of telling him the truth and the conversation that would follow. He would undoubtedly not like that Jacob was consuming so many of my thoughts, but I didn't see that changing anytime soon. I decided it was better to get it over with.

"It's Jacob," I admitted.

I measured the impact of my words in his eyes. I swear they turned darker.

"I see," he said with careful control in his tone.

"You asked," I shrugged.

I picked up my pencil again hoping, in vain, that he would let it go.

"Of all people, you had to keep company with werewolves," he said.

There was definitely regret mixed with his frustration. I had been sympathetic and reassuring of his doubt for weeks, but it was starting to get under my skin. He was the one that left, after all. It was out of that pent up annoyance that I snapped.

"Well, you weren't here. Did you expect me to sit in my room for the rest of my life?"

He looked at me with his eyes wide in surprise. It was very rare for me to bring up the time that Edward left. Then they narrowed.

"No, I expected you to spend time with your friends from school. Jessica, Angela, Eric, and Mike. Eventually, I expected you to move on with one of your many admirers. That's what any normal person would do. You, however, have a knack for finding exactly what's worst for you."

We stared at each other with hard expressions for a long moment.

"Is that what you think Jacob is?" I asked.

"No," he said, his glance falling to the ground. "That's what I am. Jacob, however, isn't a whole lot better. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to spend any amount of time with him, Bella? He can't control himself like we can. If he were to get angry for one second…"

He let his sentence trail off. I knew the danger he spoke of was real. Had I not seen Emily's scarred face? However, he had one part wrong.

"You don't know Jacob," I said. "You weren't here to see how much it hurt him to push me away when he realized what he was or how he found a way around Sam's gag order so that he could keep his promise. Jacob never tries to hurt me, but all I do is hurt him. Can't you see that?"

One glance at Edward's face told me I had taken my little rant too far. The guilt rolling off of him was nearly tangible. I reached for his hand.

"Edward, I'm sorry –"

"Don't be," he interrupted. "It's my fault you had to turn to him in the first place. He kept his promise when I didn't. It's entirely my fault you feel this… obligation to him."

There was that damn self-pity again.

"Jacob is not an _obligation_," I spit the word with more venom than necessary. "He is my best friend, and I need to do something to fix the pain I'm causing him."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Edward said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

He said, "You can't spend any more time at the reservation. I can't protect you there."

"Edward," my voice softened. "I know you mean well, but I'm not asking you to protect me or for your permission. I'll be perfectly safe there with the pack looking out for Victoria. I'm only asking that you support my efforts to try and fix my friendship with Jake."

"Are you trying to drive me insane?" he asked loudly with more anger than I had ever seen in his angel eyes. At least, more than I had ever seen directed at me.

"No, I think I'm being quite reasonable," I retorted, thankful that Charlie wasn't home from work yet. I didn't want to imagine his reaction to the scene unfolding in his kitchen.

We stared each other down in an unprecedented show of stubbornness. The tension was tangible when the sharp ring of the phone cut through it like a knife. I leapt from my chair and answered.

"Bella, this is Emily."

I locked eyes with Edward and looked away when I saw his fist clench.

"What's wrong? Is it Jake?" I asked.

"The boys were out last night doing their rounds, and there was an accident," she hedged.

I felt the blood drain completely from my face. "Emily, what happened?"

"Jake is okay, but he's pretty banged up. He would kill me if he knew I called, but I think you should come see him."

"I'm on the way," I promised and hung up the phone.

I quickly ascended the stairs and grabbed my keys and rain jacket from my room. When I reached the bottom of the stairs again, Edward was standing in front of me holding a small black object.

"What is that?" I asked. "and if you say it came out of my truck, I swear I will never forgive you."

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I can't stand by and watch you put yourself in danger like this."

The anger swelled inside me like a hurricane, but I simply said, "Fine."

With controlled and deliberate steps, I picked up the phone again and pushed the buttons with more force than necessary. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Emily," I said, "would you mind picking me up? There was a problem with my truck."

"Of course," she said. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you," I said, my voice infused with gratitude at her kindness.

I hung up and met Edward's furious gaze.

"You're unbelievable," he said.

I ignored him and crossed my arms stubbornly across my chest. "Emily will be here to get me in fifteen minutes. Unless you want to be here when she arrives, I suggest you leave."

He chuckled darkly. "Oh, believe me, you don't want me to be here when she does."

Then, just like that, he was gone. I knew I would have to smooth things over with him later, but this was one fight I was not willing to lose.

I scribbled a quick note to let Charlie know I was at the reservation. I smiled as I thought about how much he would like that. He had been pestering me for weeks about how it was wrong for me to abandon Jacob. If he only knew the truth. Suddenly, I heard Emily's car and raced out the door and through the pouring rain. I had never given much thought to what anyone other than Jacob drove on the reservation, but Emily's choice of vehicle suited her. It was a practical but still stylish deep red Jeep Liberty. I opened the passenger side door and hopped in.

"Thank you so much for picking me up," I said.

"You're welcome," she smiled as she backed into the street. "What's wrong with your truck?"

I grimaced. "I'm not sure, but I'll be getting it checked out immediately."

If it wasn't fixed by the time I got home, I was going to go to the Cullens' house and hunt down the part Edward stole myself. I hoped Alice saw that.

In what felt like five minutes, we were parked in front of the Blacks' house. Emily and I hopped out, and I followed her into the warm living room. Billy and Sam were seated on the shabby couch and both tensed as soon as they saw me.

"I asked her to come," Emily said. "Jake needs to see her."

"That wasn't your decision to make," Sam said. "She betrayed us."

"I—I'm sorry," I stammered. "You have to believe I wouldn't hurt Jacob on purpose."

I stared directly at Billy as I finished my clumsy apology. His accusing gaze held no trace of forgiveness, but he finally sighed.

He said, "He's in his room, but don't be surprised if he doesn't want to see you."

I nodded and slowly made my way down the dark hallway to Jacob's half open door. I stopped outside and took a deep breath. Just as I raised my hand to knock, a voice from the inside called, "Come in, Bella."

I slipped through the doorway and stood awkwardly just inside the room. Jacob was lying on his bed with his foot propped up on a stack of magazines and his hands behind his head. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had definitely lost weight.

"Did you drive all this way just to stand there and look at me? I could have just sent a picture with Emily," he asked sarcastically.

I laughed a little and said, "You look awful, Jake."

He sighed, "Thanks, Bells."

I suddenly noticed the only light in the room was coming from the overcast sky outside.

"Why is it so dark in here?" I asked.

He pointed to his head. "Concussion."

"Oh," I said.

Another quiet moment passed before he sighed and scooted over on the small bed until he was touching the wall. "Get over here, Bella."

I cautiously crossed the room and sat on the side of his bed.

"What does Edward think about you coming to see me?" he asked.

I felt myself stiffen at the mention of my boyfriend's name. "He doesn't approve."

Jacob chuckled. "But you came anyway?"

"I didn't ask for his permission," I said shortly.

Jacob smiled approvingly. "That's my girl."

I laughed despite myself and said, "I miss you, Jake."

His expression turned serious. "I miss you too, Bella. You have no idea how much."

"Then why won't you answer any of my calls?" I asked, suddenly angry. "I drove down here last week, you know."

"I know," he admitted. "Billy told me."

"So?" I asked.

"It's not that simple, Bella," he said, frustration coloring his words. "I wish we could spend every afternoon together like we used to, but can't you see why that won't work?"

I thought about his question. Yes, I could see why it wouldn't work. Edward would be worried sick every second he couldn't rely on his thoughts or Alice's vision to know that I'm okay. Then there's the fact that it wasn't fair to let Jacob keep loving me while I loved Edward. And I didn't want to live without either of them. It was definitely a dilemma.

Jacob gently took my hand in his. I closed my eyes and tried to commit the warmth of it to memory. As if he could read my mind, he said, "I love you, Bella, but you chose him. I can't keep torturing myself just to nurse my feelings for you. We've both got to move on."

In every logical part of my mind, I knew he was right. However, it wasn't logic that compelled me to make the trip to La Push. With a small voice, I said, "But I don't want to move on."

He used his other hand to turn my face toward his and wiped away the tear that was trailing slowly down my cheek.

"Then I guess you're going to have to decide what that means," he said.

I nodded. It was the question that had burned in my mind for weeks. Why couldn't I just let Jacob go?

I looked again at the broken boy beside me and sighed. That was a thought for another time. Jacob needed me now. I slowly slid down and let my head rest on his chest. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close.

He breathed against my hair, "Is it very selfish for me to never want to let you leave?"

"Yes," I said. "But I'm selfish enough to not want to go."

I thought about Edward and the anger I would have to face when I returned. Yes, I was very selfish.


	2. Temperature

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters or places. All of it belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Although I wish Jacob was mine.**

**I decided to go ahead and post this chapter since it was finished and it's a little short. However, I wouldn't count on updates always coming this quickly! Sadly, college demands a lot of my time. Anyways, hope you enjoy! :)**

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**Chapter 2**

**Temperature**

It was with great anxiety that I stood outside the door to Charlie's house and watched Emily's Jeep fade into the distance until it was only a red blur amongst the green trees lining the highway. I knew there would be hell to pay for my rebellious trip to La Push, but I couldn't convince myself it wasn't worth it. Jacob and I lay on his bed in silence until we both fell asleep. We must have stayed there for hours because it was dark when Emily came to wake me. Even if we only said a handful of words to each other, Jacob's presence did more to calm the storm that had been raging in my mind in hours than Edward had been able to do in weeks. And that scared me.

Before I realized how long I had been standing outside, I felt the first drop of the next rain shower and knew I could no longer avoid it. I looked to my bedroom window and unintentionally gulped. The fact that a very angry vampire was waiting in one's room would be a reason for most people to run. However, I knew I had to face him eventually.

Charlie rose from his chair as soon as I opened the door.

"How's Jacob?" he asked.

I laughed. "It's nice to see you too, Dad. I had a great day. Thanks for asking!"

He grinned and said, "Sorry, Bells. Billy called and said Jake had a motorcycle accident and was pretty banged up. I told you those things were dangerous. I hope you have more sense than to ride that two-wheeled death machine again!"

I put my hands up in front of me. "Easy, Dad. I'm on house arrest, remember? No death machines for me."

"Right," he said. "So anyway, how was Jacob?"

I noticed he didn't mention my breaking the rules by going to the reservation. Not that I was surprised.

"He's going to be okay," I said. "Broken leg and a concussion."

"Well that's good. I mean, it could have been much worse," Charlie said. "I'm glad you went to see him."

I anxiously glanced at the stairs. "Yeah, me too."

Charlie stood in the hallway as if he were waiting for me to say something else. I figured that meant Billy had mentioned a little more than Jacob's accident. Like how we were found snuggling on his bed. The fact that Edward could be, no definitely _was, _upstairs listening to every word Charlie thought was enough to make me realize I had to end this conversation. Fast.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Big test tomorrow. Goodnight, Dad!"

I was up the stairs before I finished my sentence. I stopped short just outside of my bedroom door. Here goes nothing.

The sight that welcomed me was not what I expected. Edward was perched on my bed reading my worn out copy of _Wuthering Heights. _If I didn't know better, I would think he was perfectly content. After a long five seconds, he looked up as if he just noticed my presence.

"Hi," I stuttered.

"Hello," he replied, immediately looking back at the book. After a few more seconds he turned the page, and my patience was wearing thin.

"Are you not going to talk to me then?" I asked.

He set the book down carefully and looked at me once again.

"What would you like to talk about?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Why don't you just lecture me and get it over with?" I said.

"I'm not going to lecture you," Edward said. "I'm not your father. Although, he didn't seem to mind your little excursion. In fact, he seemed happy to think about everything Billy told him about your visit."

I felt the blood rush to my face.

"You know it's not like that with Jake," I said defensively. "He's hurting a lot right now, and he needed a friend."

"Like I said, Bella, I'm not going to lecture you. You are free to make your own choices."

His voice was even and emotionless. I knew he was masking whatever he really felt because that empty tone was not one he used with me often.

"So that's it?" I asked. "You're not even the slightest bit mad at me?"

Edward laughed darkly. "I think you know me a little better than that. I only said that I wouldn't lecture you, not that I wasn't furious with your recklessness."

"I came back in one piece," I said. "I would harpdly call visiting an injured friend reckless."

Edward rose from the bed and pinned me against the door faster than I could blink. I inhaled sharply and felt my heart flutter at his closeness. His hands framed my face and began to trace along my temple all the way to my lips. I shivered.

"You have no idea how worried I was," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," I managed to get out.

"Are you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry you were worried," I corrected.

"But not enough to stay away from him," Edward said.

It wasn't a question. He dropped his hands slowly and walked back to my bed. I followed and sat next to him, taking his hand in both of mine.

"I know this must seem harsh to you," he said.

I bit the corner of my lip and said nothing.

"You can't imagine what it's like for me," he said. "Not knowing if you are okay or if Victoria finally found you in the one place I can't do anything to save you. Did you know your future disappears completely when you're with him? Not even Alice can guarantee your safe return."

"I know you worry," I said. "But you've got to have a little more faith in me than that. There is an entire pack of wolves in La Push on the lookout for Victoria. I'm probably safer there than anywhere else in Forks."

He frowned and I could tell he disagreed.

"They killed Laurent, you know," I reminded him.

"Another disaster you should have never had to face alone," he said.

"I wasn't alone," I pointed out.

That sentiment didn't seem to comfort him. That was when I knew I had finally hit the real source of Edward's anxiety. It had nothing to do with my spending time with werewolves. It had everything to do with the werewolf I was spending time with.

"That's what this is really about, isn't it?" I asked.

He didn't respond. I placed my hand on his face gently and said, "Edward, I love you."

He looked at me and I was struck by the sadness in his eyes. In that moment, I hated myself for how much I was hurting him.

"I love you," he said. "More than you know."

I rested my head on his cold shoulder and exhaled.

"So am I forgiven?" I asked hopefully.

He sighed. "I could never stay mad at you, Bella."

"Good," I mumbled. "Because I promised Jacob I would be back tomorrow."

Edward became as still as a statue but released my hand after a few seconds. Without meeting my eyes, he scooted back until he was propped up against my headboard.

"I think you should go to sleep now," he said a little too calmly. "You do have that trig test tomorrow."

I studied his solemn face before deciding I was too tired for a fight. So I crawled under the covers and buried my face in his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't help but think of Jacob's warm, soft skin pressed against mine. Thankful that Edward couldn't hear my thoughts, I pushed the traitorous memory right out of my mind and made myself as close to him as the blanket between us allowed. But that feeling of missing something, or someone, wouldn't go away entirely.

It seemed as if there were more than a few things that wouldn't be the same anymore.


	3. Promises

**I don't own the Twilight series or any characters or places associated with it.**

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Chapter 3

**Promises**

I awoke the next morning to find Edward gone and a note lying on the pillow where he had been.

_I'll be back to pick you up. I love you._

I held the piece of paper and traced his elegant script with my thumb. I wondered how long ago he left. A nagging thought in the back of my mind told me it probably wasn't long after I fell asleep.

I pushed back the covers and looked out the window to see that Charlie's cruiser was already gone. At least I would have the house to myself while I mulled over how to approach Edward in the short hour until he arrived. It was all I could think about as I showered, brushed my teeth, and dressed in a pair of jeans and a casual navy blue shirt. Before I knew it, there was a knock at the door. I anxiously turned the knob and raised an eyebrow when I took in the person standing in front of me.

Edward was smiling a magnificent smile and looked nothing like the boy I spoke to last night.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

I nodded uncertainly and moved aside to let him in. Before I could get very far, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me with much more fervor than he usually allowed himself. Even with my mind's uncertainty, my body responded immediately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and latched my fingers in his bronze, rain-soaked hair.

"Good morning," I replied against his lips.

Too soon, he pulled away and said, "Are you ready to go?"

I walked to the living room to retrieve my backpack and nodded, still feeling a little weak. As I followed him outside to his Volvo, I tried to make sense of his abrupt change. If it weren't for the urgency in that kiss, I would think I had dreamt the whole scene from last night. However, Edward's cheery mood didn't seem to lessen throughout the entire morning. By the time we got to lunch he was even carrying on a conversation with Mike Newton, who kept glancing at me incredulously. I just shrugged and took my place across from Alice.

"Hello, Bella," she said.

One look at her face told me I wasn't imagining the petulance in her tone.

"Hi, Alice," I said, not sure how to react to her unusual countenance.

She shot a look at Edward that said it wasn't me she was annoyed with. He acted as if he didn't see her and kept up his mostly one-sided conversation with Mike.

"Is everything okay?" Angela asked. "You seem a little off, Alice."

Alice quickly smiled and said, "Everything is fine. I had a rough Spanish class, but it's nothing to worry about."

She would have been convincing if she hadn't glanced at Edward again with a look that said whatever she was thinking was probably something he should be worried about.

"Okay," Angela said uncomfortably and then turned to me. "What did you think of that trig test? I just know I failed."

The rest of the day passed just as oddly as the morning, and I know I didn't imagine the warning in Alice's eyes as she stepped out of the car at the Cullens' road. Edward seemed completely unaffected. When he parked his car in front of my house, he didn't move.

"Aren't you coming in?" I asked.

"No, I promised Emmett I would hunt with him this afternoon," he said.

I looked down, disappointed.

"I'll be back at 4:30 to pick you up," he said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I told you I was going to see Jake," I said hesitantly.

"I know," he said. "But I've decided that if you insist on visiting that… mutt, then I'm going to drive you there myself. Your friend Emily can meet us at the Quileute boundary."

I stared at him open-mouthed. Alice's irritation suddenly made sense. She must have known her brother was planning this _ridiculous_ idea.

"That's hardly necessary," I finally managed. "I'm not a child, and Jacob is not a mutt."

He shrugged. "That's the compromise I am willing to make. Either I drive you or I will do something to stop you."

"How well did that work out for you last time?" I challenged.

He frowned at me. "Bella, I'm trying here. You could help a little."

I had to give him that. He was being more than gracious with me, even if his 'compromise' was still completely unnecessary.

"Fine," I said. "I'll see you at 4:30."

He grinned as I childishly slammed the door and stalked to the front door. I looked back to see him laughing as he backed out of the driveway.

_Arrogant vampire_, I thought to myself.

Then I felt bad because for all his over-protectiveness, Edward really did care about me. He was acting out of his love for me. I knew that. He just needed to see that he could trust me and the werewolves. Well, really just one werewolf.

I spent the hour and a half until his arrival mindlessly cleaning the kitchen until it was impeccably spotless. I didn't have nearly enough time to actually accomplish anything from my pile of homework, so I decided to turn on the television. Of course it was still on the local news station. The television set was rarely used due to the fact that Charlie and I were rarely home. I started to change the channel when something caught my eye. A woman in a matching blue dress shirt and skirt stood in front of a movie theatre in Seattle. She was talking about the disappearance of a fifteen year old girl. I turned up the volume.

"The minor was last seen exiting the movie theater by friends at 9 PM last night. She reportedly left to retrieve her purse from a friend's car and never returned. There was blood next to the car, but the girl's body has not been found. This teen makes the fifth disappearance in the last month."

The news anchors moved on to talking about the weather forecast for the evening, but I stared at the screen not hearing anything. I didn't know why, maybe because the girl was close to my age, but there was something about the story that I couldn't shake. When the phone rang, it pulled me sharply out of my thoughts. I walked into the kitchen to answer and smiled when I saw the name on the caller id.

"Hey, Jake," I said.

"Hey, Bells," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice too. He didn't even sound like the same person I saw yesterday.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Much better," he said. "Are you still coming down today?"

"Yes," I said happily. "Edward should be here in…" I looked at the clock. "Right about now actually."

"Edward?" Jacob asked. "What is the bloodsucker doing there?"

He did little to hide the distaste in his voice.

"Real mature, Jake," I said.

"He doesn't think he's coming with you, does he?" he asked.

"No," I said. "He wants to drive me to the border and have Emily pick me up there. Could you ask her if she would mind?"

"Sure, sure," he said. "Are you sure he doesn't want a tracking device installed as well? You know, they make these chips now you can have installed in pets in case they get lost…"

I had to suppress a laugh despite myself and then cut him off. "Ha ha. You must really be feeling better if you feel well enough to patronize me."

"Miraculous recovery," he said.

"I'm sure," I replied.

Then I turned around and jumped when I saw Edward standing no less than three feet away from me.

"I—I've got to go," I stuttered. "Edward is here now. I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

"Tell him I said hello," Jake said with a snarky laugh.

I hung up the phone and turned around again.

"Are you ready?" I asked Edward.

He was looking at me strangely, but he seemed to decide against saying anything because he turned around walked to his car wordlessly. I chewed on my lip the whole way but couldn't take the silence any longer when we reached Forks city limits.

"How was hunting?" I tried.

"It was fine," Edward said.

So that was how it was going to be. Well, I was a bit more stubborn than that.

"Did Emmett stumble across any angry grizzlies?" I asked.

That time, he smiled. "No, not this time."

Silence again. I sighed. "Are we ever going to stop being weird around each other?"

He stared straight ahead, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"I don't know, Bella," he said. "It's just that you're… different."

"Different how?" I asked.

"I don't think we should talk about this now," he said.

I could feel the walls going up between us, and I didn't want to let him shut me out again.

"I think this is a great time," I said.

He sighed. "When you were on the phone with Jacob, you seemed so… I don't know. Young? Carefree? I don't know how to describe it, but your whole face was lit up."

I watched his face contort as he struggled to say what was bothering him. It was rare for Edward to be at a loss for words.

"You've never acted that way around me," he finally said. "At least not since I've been back."

I thought about what he said. I couldn't deny that I felt like a much younger, much more reckless version of myself around Jacob. His lighthearted nature just brought out those qualities in me.

I realized Edward had stopped the car on the side of the road and was staring at me expectedly.

"I'm sorry," I said.

I didn't know what else to say because everything he had said was true.

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

"I don't know," I admitted.

We both looked up to see a car pulling off on the side of the road about a hundred yards away from Edward's Volvo. However, it wasn't Emily's Jeep. It was a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit. A car I would recognize anywhere.

"He seems to be feeling better," Edward said skeptically.

I stared at Jacob in shock as he opened the door and leaned against the hood, waiting for me. He was the picture of health.

"How..?" I asked.

"If his thoughts are any indication," Edward said. "Werewolves apparently heal faster than the average person. Although I'm sure he will tell you more about that."

"Okay," I said, reaching to open the door. "I'll call you when I'm ready to go?"

"I'll be here at six," Edward corrected.

"That's not even two hours!" I protested.

"Seven," he said. "That's it."

"Fine," I grumbled.

As I started to exit the car, I heard, "One more thing."

I turned around and gasped when he crushed his lips to mine in a demanding kiss that left me feeling intoxicated. He pulled away abruptly and said, "I'll see you at seven."

A little uneasy on my feet, I began to walk towards Jacob. He frowned until I crossed the invisible boundary line into Quileute territory. Then he picked me up in a tight hug and spun me around. I laughed and nearly tripped from the dizziness when he set me down.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Nothing," he smirked.

The look he directed at Edward's quickly receding car, however, betrayed his innocent reply.

"Right," I said.

As we cruised through the dark woods, I marveled at the beauty of the reservation. The canopy of trees looked both ominous and serene at the same time. It wasn't until I saw the Pacific Ocean peek through the trees that I realized how long it had been since I had been here. Technically, I was at Jacob's house yesterday, but I was paying attention to little else other than the thoughts swirling in my mind. This time, riding shotgun in Jake's car, it felt like coming home.

Suddenly I remembered my original purpose for coming and turned to Jacob.

"You want to explain how you literally recovered overnight?"

He grinned. "It's a wolf thing, remember?"

I laughed. His cheerful mood was such a contrast to the strained conversation I had with Edward just minutes ago. It was refreshing.

"So what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"Could we go down to the beach?" I asked. "Some fresh air would be nice."

My only excursions from the house lately had been school and work. Charlie hadn't given any sign of ungrounding me, although he seemed happy enough to let me spend all my time at La Push.

"Your wish is my command," Jacob said.

I playfully hit his arm as he stopped the car and followed him inside the shabby little house that belonged to the Black's. Jacob went straight to his room so I waited for him in the living room. Billy was sitting at the kitchen table flipping through the paper. He looked up and gave me a noticeably skeptical look.

"Nice to see you again, Bella," he said.

I smiled politely. "You too, Billy."

He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but Jacob came back before he could.

"We're going to the beach," he told his dad. "We'll be back soon."

"Don't forget about the pack meeting tonight," Billy said.

Jake nodded, and I followed him through the door.

"Pack meeting?" I asked.

"We have one once a week," he said. "You could stay if you want!"

His eyes looked bright and hopeful, like the young boy I met on this beach in what felt like another lifetime.

"What time is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Six," he said.

I smiled. "Perfect."

"Why?" he asked. "Did Charlie say you had to be back early or something?"

"No," I said. "Edward will be back to pick me up at seven."

Jacob's lips formed a tight line, but he said nothing. I was beginning to worry that I was in for another awkward exchange, so I took offensive action as we walked onto the beach.

"So how's the pack these days?" I asked.

"Growing," he frowned.

I raised an eyebrow and he went on.

"Leah and Seth phased last week."

I could hardly believe what he was saying. Seth was too young to be caught up in something like this, and Leah was…

"Girls can be werewolves?" I asked.

"Apparently," Jacob said.

I was certain if anyone was capable, it was Leah. I just couldn't grasp the idea.

"It's a real pain if you ask me," he added.

"Why?" I asked. "Can't handle a girl with all of that testosterone?"

"I wish that were the problem," he laughed. "Unfortunately, since we can hear each other's thoughts in wolf form, we all get the privilege of hearing the Sam and Leah saga every single day."

"Sam and Leah?" I said, confused. "What happened between them?"

I had never noticed any animosity between the two. In fact, I don't think I had ever actually seen them speak. Jacob walked over to the piece of driftwood that was becoming a sort of familiar spot for us and sat down. I followed and stared at him expectantly.

"Sam and Leah dated in high school," he said.

"No way!" I gasped before I could catch myself.

It was impossible to imagine Sam with anyone but Emily. They were so in love that I could hardly stand to be around them last fall without missing Edward.

Jacob laughed. "I know. It's hard to believe now, right?"

"So what happened?" I asked, intrigued.

He shrugged. "They broke up."

I could sense that there was something he wasn't telling me, but I supposed it wasn't really my business anyway.

"So she's still bitter?" I guessed.

"You could say that," Jacob said.

Once again, I could see that he was concealing something behind his frown. I started to prod him to continue, but he spoke first.

"We could talk about the pack's drama all day, but I'm sure you'll hear enough of it tonight. What's new in your life?" he asked.

"Just the usual," I said. "Angry vampires trying to hunt me down to get revenge."

Jacob laughed then, and it wasn't just his usual laugh. It was real and echoed into the forest behind us. I was looking at him like he had lost it.

"I'm glad you find it funny," I muttered.

"I don't find it funny," he said while still trying to catch his breath. "I find it insane! Listen to us. Two high school kids sitting here talking about werewolves and revengeful vampires like it's completely normal."

I eyed him skeptically, considering the possibility that his concussion had actually done some brain damage. Then I considered his words and started to laugh too. It was pretty unbelievable that we faced such extravagant problems while everyone else our age worried about who they were taking to prom.

We laughed until we both had tears streaming down our faces, and I hadn't felt so light in ages. Finally, we settled down and looked out at the Pacific Ocean in silence. The wind was picking up. There was definitely a storm rolling in. Even though it was late spring, there was a chill in the air, and I involuntarily shivered. Then I felt an incredible warmth and looked down to see that Jacob was holding my hand. I knew I should protest, but it felt too good.

"Have you thought about what we said yesterday?" he asked in a husky voice that sent chills not related to the weather trailing down my spine.

I stared at our hands and contemplated my response before finally saying, "Yes, but I don't have any answers."

Jacob didn't look surprised.

"I'm sorry, Jake," I said.

"I think you've already given me your answer," he said slowly, as if the words were burning him.

I realized he had come to the conclusion that I was choosing Edward over him. I could feel him slipping away, even as he sat next to me. I unintentionally tightened my grasp on his hand.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I asked desperately. "That has to mean something."

He stared out at the angry waves in silence. I knew it would always come back to this. There was nothing I could do to resurrect the easy relationship we had before the Cullen's returned. As long as I was choosing to have Edward in my life, this wedge was going to remain between us.

Finally, Jacob turned to me. "I know this is difficult for you, Bella. I'm sorry."

My heart broke at his undeserved apology.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Jake. I'm the one making it difficult."

He grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, luckily for you, I'm a glutton for punishment. As long as you want to see me, I'll be here." Then, more seriously, he added, "And as long as your heart is still beating, I'll be fighting."

I nodded. There was nothing left to say. If I was being honest with myself, I didn't want him to give up. If he did, I would lose him, and that was something I didn't want to think about. I was despicable.

Jacob stood up and kept his hold on my hand as I followed.

"We should probably start back for the meeting," he said.

We walked hand in hand back to his house with only the crashing of the waves and the rocks crushing under my feet to fill the silence between us. A silence that I knew would only grow in the days to come.


	4. Outbursts

**I don't own the Twilight series or any characters or places associated with it. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

A/N Luckily for those of you who are following this story, it's almost finals week and I have tons of homework. Which means I am hardcore procrastinating! So, I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it! :)

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**Chapter 4**

**Outbursts**

By the time we made it to Jacob's house, his small living room was filled with over-grown teenage boys, also known as the pack. I noticed the person sitting in the corner of the loveseat and remembered the one exception. Leah, who happened to be glaring at me. The phrase "if looks could kill" crossed my mind.

Once the rest of the pack realized Jacob wasn't alone, the room fell silent. Embry gave me a small smile, but the rest of the guys just stared, waiting for Sam's verdict.

"I told Bella she could stay," Jacob said tentatively. "Is that cool?"

You could have heard a pin drop as Sam seemed to be evaluating me. I shifted awkwardly as his eyes stared into mine.

"I don't see what it could hurt," he finally said. "She might actually be of some use to us with her knowledge of the vampires."

As soon as the tension lifted, several of the guys grinned and welcomed me back.

"Decided you like hanging with the wolves better than the vamps?" Quil teased.

I laughed because I knew he meant no harm in his statement. It was Quil, after all.

I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "You've figured me out," I joked back.

Seth even smiled at me. I couldn't help but feel sad when I looked at his young face. He didn't deserve this. None of them did. I reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately, to which he responded by shaking my hand off just like any kid would do.

At once, I felt a pair of eyes on me again and looked to see that Leah was still glaring. I wasn't expecting a celebratory hug or anything, but I couldn't figure out why she was so angry with me.

Thankfully, Sam called the group to order.

"It's been a few weeks, and we still haven't seen the red head," he cut to the chase.

I felt my stomach twist into knots at the mention of Victoria. Her absence had made it easy not to think about the fact that she was hunting me, but I knew she wouldn't give up. It was only a matter of time.

"Do you think she's given up?" Jared asked.

Sam cut his eyes in my direction. "According to what Bella has told us about her trying to avenge the death of her mate, that seems doubtful. Our legends state that they don't tend to just let things like that go."

"We could at least ease up on the patrols," Paul suggested. "We're all exhausted."

Jacob's body became tense next to mine. "No," he said. "She's still out there, and she'll be back. We can't afford to let anything slip through the cracks."

The room exploded with arguments either for or against keeping up the patrols. Most people agreed with Jacob, but there were a couple, namely Paul and Jared, who pleaded with Sam for a break. I felt terrible listening to the chaos around me. It was my fault they were all running themselves to the ground to find Victoria. Finally having heard enough, Sam cleared his throat and the noise disappeared.

"As much as I wish we could slow down," said Sam, "Jacob is right. She will be back. As long as she is trying to get to Forks, she is a threat to our tribe and obviously a threat to Bella. So, no change in patrols."

Paul didn't argue his case any further. Sam was the alpha, and what he said was law among the pack.

"The real reason for the meeting tonight," Sam continued, "is the recent disappearances in Seattle."

Everyone leaned forward a little in their seats, more interested in this new development. I scrunched my forehead. I had heard about the disappearances on the news earlier that day, but I couldn't see why it would be a topic of discussion in the pack meeting.

"According to the latest report, there are now five people missing. Murders are not extremely rare in a city the size of Seattle, but all of these incidences have occurred in one month."

He paused to let that sink in. No one other than him, however, seemed to know where he was going with it. Then it hit me. There was blood at the scene of the crime. People were disappearing quickly, but no bodies had been found.

"It's a vampire!" I said suddenly.

Everyone turned their heads to look at me with wide eyes. I was starting to second guess my outburst, but Sam nodded his head.

"That's exactly what I think," he said.

Sam went on to relate the same conclusions I had come to about the lack of bodies found and the strange timing. All signs clearly pointed to vampire attacks. I didn't know why it hadn't been obvious to me before. There was almost certainly a vampire wreaking havoc on the city of Seattle.

Paul's face broke into a grin. He said, "What are we waiting for? Let's take 'em out!"

"Not so fast," Sam said, his voice still calm. "Right now, whatever is going on in Seattle doesn't pose a threat to our tribe. However, it is close enough that we should keep an eye on the situation. I just wanted all of you to be aware."

"You know, checking it out might not be a bad idea," Jacob said. "I mean, whoever it is obviously doesn't have a lot of regard for human life, and they seem to be covering their tracks pretty well. We don't want them anywhere near La Push or Forks."

I didn't miss his quick glance at me.

"No," Sam said. "We have enough to worry about here with the red head. We're going to wait this one out."

Jacob clenched his fists. I instinctively took one of his hands and held it until he finally released his fist and laced his fingers through mine. He met my eyes and gave me a grateful smile. I would swear Leah's eyes grew darker as she stared at our hands.

"If no one else has any thoughts, the meeting is closed," Sam said. "Quil, Embry you are on patrol until midnight. Jacob and I will take over from there. As for the rest of you, get some sleep."

Everyone rose and filed out of the small room until it was only Jacob, Sam, and I. As Sam was leaving, he stopped in front of us.

"Don't worry, Bella," he said. "She won't get through us."

I nodded and he left.

"So, I guess I should probably get you back," Jacob said.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:45.

"Probably," I said.

Jacob laughed at the sad tone in my voice.

"It's not like you'll never see me again!" he said laughing. "But if you want to test the bloodsucker's patience, I will gladly keep you a little longer."

I remembered the tense conversation between Edward and I earlier in the car and frowned. He didn't seem to have a lot of patience left with me these days.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I said.

Jacob said, "He needs to lighten up a little."

"He's being pretty reasonable," I said defensively.

Jacob grabbed his keys. "If you say so."

I followed him out to the Rabbit and waved goodbye to the guys still standing outside as we started down the winding road.

"You'll come back soon, right?" Jacob asked.

"Of course," I said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," Jacob said. "I was just making sure."

"Don't worry," I said reassuringly. "Nothing could keep me away."

Jacob looked like he wanted to say something, but he stared straight at the road instead. I thought back to the pack meeting and remembered the strange glares I kept getting from Leah. It suddenly occurred to me why she might have been staring, and I didn't like feeling I got in the pit of my stomach.

"So," I began. "What was up with Leah tonight?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

"She kept staring at me," I said. "It looked like she was really angry."

"I didn't notice," Jacob said, "but I wouldn't worry. Leah's always angry about something."

I wasn't convinced.

"You don't think she …likes you… do you?" I stumbled over the words.

To my surprise, Jacob laughed. "Leah?" he asked. "She would rather walk over burning coals than go on a date with me! I'm pretty sure the same rule applies to any of the guys in the pack."

He laughed again. "Seriously, Bella, what made you think that?"

"I don't know," I crossed my arms defensively, "She kept staring at me, and I don't know why else she would dislike me."

Jacob turned his eyes to look at me and smirked. "Are you jealous?" he asked.

"No!" I almost shouted. "Of course not! I just wanted to know what her problem was."

He laughed quietly. "Whatever you say, Bella. I would get that green skin checked out soon, though, if I were you. It could be dangerous."

I hit him and said, "Shut up."

"Hey, now!" he said laughing. "You shouldn't hit the driver!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you doubting your driving skills?"

"Please," Jacob said. "You know I can drive better than you."

"Whatever," I said.

I looked up to see Edward's car parked on the side of the road up ahead. Jacob slowed down and pulled off the road about a hundred yards away from the silver Volvo.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye," he said.

I reached across the seat to hug him.

"I'll be back," I promised.

He smiled. "I'll miss you, Bells."

"I'll miss you too, Jake," I said.

I could feel both Jacob and Edward watching carefully as I crossed the border and opened the door to Edward's car. I waved one last time to Jacob and watched as he drove back to the reservation.

"Hello, Bella," Edward's velvet voice said as soon as I shut the door.

"Hey," I said.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "We walked down to the beach, and then I stayed for the pack meeting."

He looked confused. "Why would you stay for the pack meeting?"

I shrugged. "I guess they figure I already know all of their secrets. Besides, it was only six when it started."

Edward nodded but didn't say anything else about it. I felt the need to say something to fill the silence.

"So what have you been doing all night?" I asked.

"Playing chess," he grinned. "Alice has been asking for a game for awhile now."

I looked at him skeptically. "You like chess?"

"It's a very complex game," he said. "It becomes even more difficult when Alice can foresee my every move, and I can see her thoughts before she executes them."

He laughed. "No one else will play with either of us."

"I can't imagine why!" I said.

Edward smiled and picked up my hand. He suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I became worried that he could somehow tell that my hand had been in Jacob's not that long ago. However, he was bothered by a different problem.

"You smell like a dog," he said.

His nose wrinkled in disgust.

I laughed. "You know, that's exactly what every girl wants to hear from her boyfriend!"

"It's nothing personal," he said quickly. "I suppose it's just a risk you take when you hang out with mutts."

I sighed. "I wish you wouldn't call them that."

"Werewolves, then," he corrected.

"Thank you," I said.

We sat in silence for a few minutes when I remembered the discussion that took place in the meeting.

"Sam said something tonight that I thought was interesting," I began.

"What did he say?" Edward asked. He didn't seem the slightest bit intrigued.

"It was about the disappearances in Seattle," I said. "He thinks a vampire is behind all of it."

Edward looked at me suddenly. "Why does he think that?"

"Well," I said. "There haven't been any bodies found, for one thing. It also seems suspicious that so many people have gone missing so quickly."

Edward didn't say anything for a moment.

"I need to speak with Carlisle," he said finally. "If it is a vampire, we may need to do something about it."

"Why would you get involved?" I asked. "Seattle is several hours away."

"If he or she keeps up this conspicuous behavior, the Volturi will step in. I would rather not have them that close. They might be tempted to pay us a visit," he said, glancing at me cautiously, "to make sure we kept our promise."

I looked out the window as we he parked in my driveway and immediately began to chew on my lip. Of course. The Volturi would want to see if I'm still human.

"Anyway," Edward said, "I will need to see what Carlisle wants to do. So, I won't be staying over tonight."

"Okay," I said sadly. "I have a lot of homework to do anyway."

He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, love. I'll be here first thing tomorrow."

I sighed and got out of the car, waving one last time as he backed into the street.

When I walked inside, I started to ask Charlie if he wanted anything to eat. Judging by the half-empty box of pizza on the table, however, he seemed to have given up on me cooking anything tonight.

"Sorry I missed dinner," I said as I walked through the living room.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You spoil me too much."

He grinned. "So how's Jake?" he asked.

I smiled wryly. "Much better."

"That's good to hear," he said. He sat up and turned off the tv. "Why don't you sit down for a minute, Bells?"

I immediately began to form an escape plan. Father-daughter talks weren't exactly our thing, and I didn't want to stick around for whatever this one was about. However, I couldn't think of a way out. I reluctantly sat down on the couch and waited.

"I've decided to unground you," he said.

I stared at him in shock. I had assumed I would be on house arrest for the rest of my life.

"You're such a good kid," he went on, "and you haven't complained once this whole time. As long as you are spending time with people other than Edward, I think a little freedom won't hurt anything."

"Wow, thanks, Dad!" I said.

In an uncharacteristic move, I jumped up to hug him. He laughed and patted me on the back.

"You're welcome," he said. "Now go do your homework before I change my mind."

"Yes, sir," I said, raising two fingers to my forehead in a salute.

I quickly made my way upstairs and set in on the pile of work I had been neglected. By the time I was done, it was nearly ten o'clock. I stared at the empty side of my bed for a moment before crawling under the covers. Thankfully, I was so tired that I feel asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That night I dreamt of Victoria. She was standing on First Beach in La Push. Her red hair flowed around her pale face in the wind; producing a striking contrast with her equally red eyes and making her look absolutely terrifying. Before I could register anything else, a reddish-brown wolf leapt out of the forest behind me. The wolf stopped next to me and looked directly into my eyes. Then it growled and raced toward Victoria.

I screamed, "Jake, no!"

Then I sat straight up in bed. It took me a few seconds to register that none of it was real. It had been so vivid that my heart was still pounding. Then I felt a cool hand grasp my arm and jerked my head to the right quickly.

"Edward," I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you, and you seemed to be having trouble sleeping," he said. "So, I stayed."

"It was Victoria," I sighed. "I dreamt she was back."

He looked at me without saying anything. His eyes were unbelievably dark. Then I realized what he probably heard, and my face grew very hot.

"Edward…," I said.

"Go back to sleep, Bella," he said mechanically. "It was just a bad dream."

I stared at him for a moment and decided it was best not to talk about it until he had time to calm down. So I nestled under his arm and closed my eyes tightly. That conversation definitely wasn't over.


End file.
